The BEST Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe and 7-Day Diet Plan (PDF)

7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe Meal Plan or Menu containing all the foods one can eat during those days on the diet.

Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe that made me lose 10 pounds in 7 days and detox the body. As a bonus, get the 7-Day Diet Plan (PDF) to follow the diet easily. It's delicious, quick-and-easy to make, and you can eat as much as you want!

A bowl of cabbage soup for weight loss and detox.

Table of Contents

Did you overindulge a bit during the holidays? Me too! Whether you're looking to lose up to 10 pounds or more in only 7 days, fit back into your clothing, detox, or get rid of bloating, this weight loss cabbage soup recipe and diet plan may help you accomplish these goals quickly.

As a plus, find out the pros and cons of the cabbage soup diet, get answers to some FAQs, and learn how to make the best 7-day cabbage soup diet recipe in the slow cooker, instant pot, and stovetop.

Watch me make this cabbage soup diet recipe quickly! Also, find out “How I lose 10 pounds in 7 days with this cabbage soup diet recipe and the 7-day meal plan!”

Other people's reviews:

close up of instant pot cabbage soup

Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe

  1. To make this cabbage soup recipe in the crockpot, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add oil, and cook onion, bell pepper, and celery for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir now and then. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the slow cooker.
  2. Stir in all the other ingredients for the cabbage soup diet recipe, except spinach, lemon juice, and salt. Secure lid and cook for 2-4 hours on high, or 8-10 hours on low.
  3. Remove the lid and stir in spinach and lemon juice. Stir in salt but go easy.

cooking onion and garlic <a href=to make the meal " width="600" height="800" />

More Cabbage Recipes

More Weight Loss Diets and Diet Recipes That I Have Tried

What Can I Eat on The Cabbage Soup Diet Plan?

This diet consists of cabbage soup, eaten at least 2 to 3 times a day (or AS MUCH as you want) with other allowed foods as follows:

NOTE: Every single day make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water to hydrate your body and eat as much cabbage weight loss soup as you want several times per day.

What is the Cabbage Soup Diet?

The Cabbage Soup Diet has variations, but it is mainly:

Yet it is not vegetarian or vegan because limited amounts of animal protein are allowed on a couple of days. This is a rigid diet – with little room for tweaks, just like the military diet.

What Are the Pros and Cons?

Pros (Cabbage Soup Benefits):

Cons:

Is This a 7-Day Weight Loss Cabbage Soup (Wonder Soup)?

Yes! With this cabbage soup diet, you can lose 10 pounds (4.5 kg) or more in 7 days. This is a fast weight-loss diet, ideal to shed weight after the holiday binge, or for a special event. But be aware that this is not a permanent solution because long-term your body can run out of essential nutrients.

How Much Weight Can You Lose On The 7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet?

There are many factors to consider such as gender and age, whether you follow the diet strictly or cheat, and to what degree. But most people reported losing up to 10 or more pounds in one week on cabbage soup for weight loss. Keep in mind that the weight that you'll lose is a combination of water, fat, and even muscle.

How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Work?

This is a low-calorie intake diet (around 1,000 calories per day) and its main purpose is quick weight loss -- 10 pounds or more in 7 days. In addition, it is mostly low-carb, vegetarian, and vegan!

On the 7-day cabbage soup diet, you'll follow a specific eating plan every day. This means you will eat as much weight-loss cabbage soup as you want, drink at least 8 cups of water per day, and eat certain foods each day of the week.

This diet soup is also known under other names such as Wonder Soup, Weight Loss Soup, Miracle Soup, WW Cabbage Soup, Detox Soup, Fat-Burning Soup, Detox Soup, and Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup.

Close up of a bowl of weight loss cabbage soup.

Can I Exercise on The Cabbage Soup Diet?

Exercise is not recommended while on this restrictive diet, especially at moderate to high levels. Why? Because this is a low-calorie diet-- one that can leave you weak even without exercising. You'll likely get around 1,000 calories or less a day which is about half of the 2,000 daily calories that most adults should get.

Who Can or Cannot Do The 7-Day Soup Diet

It works well for those who are obese and need to lose weight fast to undergo surgery. If you have any condition, such as diabetes, consult your doctor before making the cabbage diet soup. Your blood sugar levels may drop a lot. It also won't have a long-lasting impact on heart disease, lowering cholesterol, or treating high blood pressure.

7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet FAQs

To begin with, you should always ask your doctor before starting any diet, including this cabbage soup diet. Here are a few often-asked questions about one of the most well-known weight loss soups and its diet:

Can I substitute other foods?

This is a strict diet that does not allow tweaks. But I have to say that I lost 3 pounds in 5 days only by eating large amounts of this diet cabbage soup and eating outside of the diet a few times but mostly up to 1300 calories a day.

What can I drink on the cabbage soup diet?

It allows for drinking water, coffee, or unsweetened herbal tea – but not alcohol or sodas. But I confess that I drank diet tea (stevia-based). It has zero calories but is not detox.

Can I feel tired on this diet?

Yes! Although I am used to dieting, I felt more tired on this cabbage soup diet than on others. I also felt weak, had issues focusing, and was highly irritable and hungry.

How long can you stay on the cabbage soup diet?

This is a 7-day diet only – it's super-restrictive and can make you feel weak, lose focus, and run low on nutrients. For these reasons, do not stay on the diet beyond 7 days. This diet is ideal for detoxing the body and preparing it for a sustainable diet.

What can I do to keep from putting the weight back on shortly after completing this diet?

Be sure to drink a lot of water so your body won't hold on to fluids, and start a balanced healthy diet.

Which broth should I use for Cabbage Soup?

The original cabbage soup diet recipe is vegan/vegetarian and calls for vegetable broth. However, if you aren't on a diet, you can use beef or chicken broth and even add some beef or shredded chicken to the soup.

Should I use green or purple cabbage?

Although most cabbage soup recipes for weight loss call for green cabbage (the most common type), you can use purple cabbage (which contains a higher level of antioxidants) or a mix of both. They have the same amount of calories!

Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe Ingredients

Although most recipes have bouillon/water and veggies in common, there are different recipes for the diet soup. Our diet cabbage soup recipe is low-fat and has low-carb veggies, among other ingredients that are detox and anti-inflammatory, such as spinach, garlic, turmeric, tomatoes, and lemon juice. It is similar to Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup!

Here are the ingredients for the weight-loss cabbage soup recipe that maximizes weight loss while detoxing:

ingredients for the meal a cutting board

Variations on The Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe

We added turmeric to the original cabbage soup diet recipe to make it also anti-inflammatory. This is a vegan recipe but you can add some animal protein to it on the days you should eat either beef or chicken. The soup itself tastes amazing and many love to eat it even when they are not on the diet. Most add some protein! Here are a few suggestions:

How to Store

Can I Make Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe Ahead?

Yes! If you are trying the cabbage soup diet, you'll want to make a large batch of weight-loss cabbage soup in advance. Then, divide the soup into 2 batches, keeping one in the fridge for up to 4 days, and freeze the other to thaw for the rest of the 7 days. Of course, you can also freeze it for up to 4-6 months. Thus, if you work outside the home, you can portion it out into individual servings for a grab-and-go meal.

Meal Prepping Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe

There are 2 ways to meal prep this weight-loss cabbage soup: Either preparing a large batch in advance or prepping all the ingredients ahead to mix them for when you need them.

7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet Plan

SAVE OR DOWNLOAD this 7-day cabbage soup diet menu!

7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe Meal Plan or Menu containing all the foods one can eat during those days on the diet.

PIN AND ENJOY!

A bowl of cabbage soup for weight loss and detox.

4.94 from 86 votes

BEST Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe

Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe that made me lose 10 pounds in 7 days and detox the body. As a bonus, get the 7-Day Diet Plan (PDF) to follow the diet easily. It's delicious, quick-and-easy to make, and you can eat as much as you want!

Course: Main Course Cuisine: American Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 15 minutes minutes Total Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 16 cups Calories 70 kcal Cost $ 0.40 per cup

Equipment

slow cooker instant pot cutting board wood spoon

Ingredients

Instructions

Stovetop Method

Heat a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add oil, and cook onion, bell pepper, and celery for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir every now and then. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in all the other ingredients, except spinach, lemon juice, and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Remove the lid and stir in spinach and lemon juice. Stir in just enough salt to taste.

Instant Pot Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe

To make the detox cabbage soup in the pressure cooker, press the saute function. Heat oil and cook onion, bell pepper, and celery for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir now and then. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato, broccoli slaw, cabbage, broth, tomato paste, pepper, and turmeric. Stir and secure the lid.

Set it on high for 15 minutes, or press the soup function and set for 15 minutes. Allow natural release, about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in spinach and lemon juice. Stir in salt but do not go overboard.

Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add oil, and cook onion, bell pepper, and celery for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir now and then. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir in all the other ingredients for the cabbage soup diet recipe, except spinach, lemon juice, and salt. Secure lid and cook for 2-4 hours on high, or 8-10 hours on low. Remove the lid and stir in spinach and lemon juice. Stir in salt but go easy.

Recipe Video

YouTube video

Recipe Notes

>>>NET CARBS: 6 g >>>WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 2 How to Store

Nutrition

Calories: 70 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 3 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 66 mg | Potassium: 370 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 1049 IU | Vitamin C: 54 mg | Calcium: 44 mg | Iron: 1 mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Comment and rate the recipe. Also follow us on Pinterest at @easyanddelish for more delish recipes.

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About Denise Browning

I'm Denise Browning, a chef with almost 2 decades of experience, a nutrition researcher, and cookbook author. Here you’ll find easy healthy meals with some occasional splurges. More About Me.

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Comments

  1. Laura S. says June 13, 2024 at 6:48 pm

I haven't made the soup yet, but it reminds me of my preteen days when my mom decided my whole family needed to go on the cabbage soup diet. I remember my entire family loving the soup and my mom making it and adding a lb. of beef to it when we were not on the diet. It was so good. I was wondering has the 7 day diet changed. My mom said that one of the days Grapefruit was required.

Hi Laura! The cabbage soup recipe was slightly altered. I added turmeric to make it anti-inflammatory too! As for the cabbage soup diet plan, you can eat grapefruit in any of the days that call for low-sugar fruits. Grapefruit is a low-glycemic fruit!


I made the soup on my days off this week and just finished the last of the batch a few moments ago. I added some mushrooms and extra tomato, and it turned out so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe. It brought back such fond memories.

Hi, Laura! I am so happy you enjoyed our weight loss soup recipe and have fond memories of it!

Hi so far I'm in day 2 with just eating leafy greens. Can I put lemon juice in greens. As for low-sugar fruits can I eat apples?
So far so good! not really feeling hungry and soup is great!

Hi GT!I am so glad you are enjoying our cabbage soup diet recipe. It is delicious indeed. My husband eats it without being on the diet soup. And yes you can dress your greens with lemon juice. It is low-calorie so it won't alter the results of your diet. As for apples, you can ingest them only but the ideal is you consume a variety of low-sugar fruits because each has different vitamins and amount of fiber. But if you only want to eat apples (they're low in sugar, especially the green ones), prefer small apples over the large ones.

Hi Thanks so much for information. As I want to loose weight I have to follow the 7 day meal plan, can I have coffee in the morning with milk, stevia? So for day 2, I can have baby tomatoes and leafy greens (no dressing)? for the peppers, zucchini can I grill them but no dressing?
Day 3 - what is low-sugar fruits and non-starchy veggies?
I would like to start tomorrow and would like to have everything ready!

Hi MT! Yes, you can have your coffee with stevia and if possible, unsweetened plant-based milk because it doesn't have lots of carbs. Cow's milk is full fo carbs and calories! Day 2: I know it is hard to not dress your vegetables but you can use lemon or lime juice, and a dash of salt and pepper. Basically, youc an dress your salad/green with anything that is not too caloric. This cabbage soup diet is a low-calorie diet! And yes you can grill your veggies and doesn't dress them if you prefer. Day 3: Low-sugar fruits are apples and pears (both small instead of medium to large), berries, honeydew melon, lemons and limes, stone fruits such as peach and plums, avocado, grapefruit and oranges. As for non-starchy veggies, you cna eat greens, tomatoes, onions, peppers and bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, green beans, cabbage, celery, cucumber, zucchini, spaghetti squash, turnips, okra, eggplant, heart of palm, and leeks. You have plenty to choose from. Wishing you much success on your 7-day cabbage soup diet plan!

Hi I'am excited to make this and try it as well. Just have a couple of questions?
Do I include water as well as the 9 cup broth? and also do i have to follow the 7-day meal plan?
Thanks

Hi MT! For making this cabbage soup diet recipe, you only include the 9 cups of broth. You may replace broth with water but your soup won't be as flavorful. As for the diet plan, you can make only the soup and have it as a meatless meal, or add some protein to it such as shredded chicken or low-fat ground beef. It is great as an anti-inflammatory and detox soup. Or you can follow the 7-day diet meal plan if your goal is to lose weight and you have no health restrictions. All depends on your goals. There are people that enjoys the soup itself so much that they make the soup but dom't follow the diet. But if you want to lose weight, the 7-day meal plan is a must.

I am looking forward to trying this! I was wondering if this week-long diet would be a good way to introduce solid foods after doing a 3-day juice cleanse? Then switching to a more balanced diet for continued weight loss. Also, does it have to be green cabbage? Or could I do half red cabbage, half green?

Hi,MGS! Yes if you want to do the 3-day juice cleanse and switch to the 7-day cabbage soup diet is possible. I have readers that did that successfully. Then you have to do a balanced diet otehrwise you will gain back the weight you lost. Of course, you can't have any healthy problems that prevent you to do those diets such as diabetes among others. Please read both diet before starting. Also, you can use any type of cabbage you want. Their caloric value is about the same.


On my banana and looking forward to it since as of this morning's weight check I am down 7+ pounds. I love the soup and using sriracha chile sauce with each serving makes the soup taste like a ramen soup missing the ramen. I also add whole mushrooms to each serving while heating up and it sort of feels like a chuck of meat. Check in later or should I say on day eight with my final results.

Hi Mark! I am so happy you love our cabbage soup diet recipe and is losing a lot of weight. The addition of mushrooms was genius!


Wonderful flavor. This soup tastes great whether you are on a diet or not, it is simply a very delicious and enjoyable soup.


I made this soup and absolutely love it! Lots of flavor compared to other recipes. Finished the first batch and the second batch is in the pressure cooker as I write this. I use this for a healthy snack. It’s pre-prepared so it’s very convenient and keeps me from looking for other not so healthy things.

Hi Deb! I am so happy you enjoyed our wonder soup recipe. I really appreciate your feedback and how convenient you find to have this healthy snack ready to eat when you need.


I was wondering what do I eat for breakfast on day 2 when it’s just veggies?

Hi Susan! Day 2 is hard becuase it is only the soup and leafy veggies that one can eat. But yes the entire day youc an only have non starchy veggies (a variety of them) and plenty of water. Things get less restrictive on the following days.